Plant-Based Pet Food Cuts Carbon Footprint – Study finds

The Growing Environmental Burden of Pet Food

The pet food industry has a significant yet often overlooked environmental footprint. A recent study published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems reveals that plant-based Pet food dramatically lowers environmental impact compared to meat-based diets. With over 471 million dogs worldwide, this research highlights how dietary choices for pets can influence global sustainability.

Animal-based dog food production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, freshwater depletion, and soil degradation. In some countries, pet food accounts for up to 25% of total carbon emissions. This study marks the first in-depth analysis of how different dog food formulations, plant-based, poultry-based, veterinary, and red meat-based, affect the environment.

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The Pet Food Study: Comparing Plant-Based vs. Meat-Based Diets

Researchers evaluated 31 complete dry dog foods available in the UK, focusing on key sustainability indicators:

• Land use per 1,000 kcal
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Acidifying emissions (e.g., sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides)
• Eutrophying emissions (linked to waterway pollution)
• Freshwater consumption

The results were clear: plant-based dog food was the most environmentally friendly across all categories.

• Land Use: Red meat diets required over 100 m² per 1,000 kcal, compared to only 3 m² for plant-based foods.
• Greenhouse Gases: Beef-based dog food produces 11 times higher emissions than plant-based diets.
• Freshwater Usage: Lamb-based foods used 684 liters per 1,000 kcal, while plant-based foods required just 250 liters.

Over a nine-year lifespan, a Labrador retriever on a red meat-based diet would consume resources equivalent to 52–57 football fields of farmland. In contrast, a plant-based diet would use less than two football fields, highlighting a stark difference in sustainability.

A Call for Sustainable Pet Nutrition

The study concludes that increasing plant-based ingredients in pet food offers a powerful way to reduce environmental damage. While poultry and veterinary diets have a lower impact than red meat, they still lag behind plant-based options. Interestingly, using animal by-products did not significantly improve sustainability, suggesting that more systemic changes are required.

For veterinarians and healthcare professionals counseling pet owners, this research provides evidence-based insights into sustainable feeding practices without compromising canine nutrition.

For More Information:

Brociek, R. A. and Gardner, D. S. (2025). Environmental impact of feeding plant-based vs. meat-based dry dog foods in the United Kingdom. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1633312. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1633312/full